Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention related to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet compositions and their use.
Description of the Related Art
Cell therapy is rapidly evolving in medicine. A variety of cell lines including embryonic stem cells (ESC), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), adult stem cells (ASCs) and progenitor cells (PCs) derived from a variety of tissues are being employed in preclinical and now clinical trials to treat disease. A consistent issue with the use of any type of cell line, however, is differentiating it to an appropriate type of cell. These pluripotent or multipotent cells need to be driven to a specific cell line in order for them to be used for a specific disease or disorder.
Specifically, iPSCs can be created by overexpressing key transcriptional factors. Landmark work by Yamanaka and coworkers (U.S. Pat. No. 8,278,104) and others have confirmed that somatic cells can be transformed into pluripotent cells via these methods. Lentiviruses, retroviruses, adenoviruses, plasmids and transposable elements have all been used to create these cells lines. This methodology, however, may result in the integration of viral DNA into the genome.
Cells lines can be differentiated into mature cell types such as a muscle cells, a skin cell or an astrocyte, a mature type of brain cell. A variety of growth factors and other cytokines can be used to push immature cell lines into differentiated cell types.
Unfortunately, “genetic or epigenetic errors may be introduced during nuclear reprogramming, and the generation of tissues from pluripotent stem cells employs laboratory methods for cell generation and expansion that increase the risk of genetic instability, epigenetic modification, and the generation of tumorigenic cells. These issues may be addressed in part by using non-viral reprogramming methods.” (Volz et al 2012)